Provided by: tcllib_1.15-dfsg-2_all 
NAME
tepam::argument_dialogbox - TEPAM argument_dialogbox, reference manual
SYNOPSIS
package require Tcl 8.3
package require Tk 8.3
package require tepam ?0.4?
tepam::argument_dialogbox item_name item_attributes ?item_name item_attributes? ?...?
tepam::argument_dialogbox {item_name item_attributes ?item_name item_attributes? ?...?}
_________________________________________________________________
DESCRIPTION
ARGUMENT DIALOGBOX CALL
TEPAM's argument_dialogbox is a flexible and easily usable data entry form generator. Each
data entry element of a form is defined via a data entry item that can be provided to
argument_dialogbox in two formats:
tepam::argument_dialogbox item_name item_attributes ?item_name item_attributes? ?...?
Using this first format, each data entry item is defined via a pair of two
arguments. The first one is the item name that defines the entry widget that has to
be used in the form. The second argument, called item attributes, specifies the
variable which is attributed to the data entry element as well as eventual
formatting and context information.
The argument_dialogbox returns ok if the entered data have been acknowledged (via
the OK button) and validated by a data checker. If the entered data have been
rejected (via the Cancel button) the argument_dialogbox returns cancel.
A small example illustrates how the argument_dialogbox can be employed:
set DialogResult [tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-title "Itinerary selection" \
-file {-label "Itinerary report" -variable report_file} \
-frame {-label "Itinerary start"} \
-comment {-text "Specify your itinerary start location"} \
-entry {-label "City" -variable start_city -type string} \
-entry {-label "Street" -variable start_street -type string -optional 1} \
-entry {-label "Street number" -variable start_street_nbr -type integer -optional 1} \
-frame {-label "Itinerary destination"} \
-comment {-text "Specify your itinerary destination"} \
-entry {-label "City" -variable dest_city -type string} \
-entry {-label "Street" -variable dest_street -type string -optional 1} \
-entry {-label "Street number" -variable dest_street_nbr -type integer -optional 1} \
-frame {} \
-checkbutton {-label "Don't use highways" -variable no_highway}]
This example opens a dialog box that has the title Itinerary selection. A first
entry widget in this box allows selecting a report file. It follows two frames to
define respectively an itinerary start and end location. Each of these locations
that are described with a comment has three entry widgets to specify respectively
the city, street and the street number. Bellow the second frame there is a check
button that allows specifying if eventual highways should be ignored.
tepam::argument_dialogbox {item_name item_attributes ?item_name item_attributes? ?...?}
Sometimes it is simpler to provide all the data entry item definitions in form of a
single list to argument_dialogbox, and not as individual arguments. The second
format that is supported by argument_dialogbox corresponds exactly to the first
one, except that all item definitions are packed into a single list that is
provided to argument_dialogbox. The previous example can therefore also be written
in the following way:
set DialogResult [tepam::argument_dialogbox {
-title "Itinerary selection"
-file {-label "Itinerary report" -variable report_file}
-checkbutton {-label "Don't use highways" -variable no_highway} }]
The commands argument_dialogbox as well as procedure are exported from the namespace
tepam. To use these commands without the tepam:: namespace prefix, it is sufficient to
import them into the main namespace:
namespace import tepam::*
set DialogResult [argument_dialogbox \
-title "Itinerary selection"
The following subsections explain the different argument item types that are accepted by
the argument_dialogbox, classified into three groups. The first data entry item definition
format will be used in the remaining document, knowing that this format can always be
transformed into the second format by putting all arguments into a single list that is
then provided to argument_dialogbox.
CONTEXT DEFINITION ITEMS
The first item group allows specifying some context aspects of an argument dialog box.
These items are taking a simple character string as item attribute:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-<argument_name> string \
The following items are classified into this group:
-title string
The dialog box window's title which is by default Dialog can be changed with the
-title item:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-title "System configuration" \
-window string
The argument dialog box uses by default .dialog as dialog top level window. This
path can be changed with the -window item:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-window .dialog \
-parent string
By defining a parent window, the argument dialog box will be displayed beside this
one. Without explicit parent window definition, the top-level window will be
considered as parent window.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-parent .my_appl \
-context string
If a context is defined the dialog box's state, e.g. the entered data as well as
the window size and position, is saved and restored then the next time the argument
dialog box is called. The assignment of a context allows saving the dialog box'
state in its context to distinguish between different usages of the argument dialog
box.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-context destination_definitions \
FORMATTING AND DISPLAY OPTIONS
Especially for big, complex forms it becomes important that the different data entry
widgets are graphically well organized and commented to provide an immediate and clear
overview to the user. A couple of items allow structuring and commenting the dialog boxes.
The items of this classification group require as item attributes a definition list, which
contains itself attribute name and value pairs:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-<argument_name> {
?-<attribute_name> <attribute_value>?
?-<attribute_name> <attribute_value>?
?...?
}
The following items are classified into this group:
-frame list
The -frame item allows packing all following entry widgets into a labeled frame,
until a next frame item is defined or until the last entry widget has been defined.
It recognizes the following attributes inside the item attribute list:
-label string
An optional frame label can be specified with the -label statement.
Example:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-frame {-label "Destination address"}
To close an open frame without opening a new one, an empty list has to be provided
to the -frame statement.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-frame {}
-sep [const {{}}]
Entry widgets can be separated with the -sep statement which doesn't require
additional definitions. The related definition list has to exist, but its content
is ignored.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-sep {}
-comment string
Comments and descriptions can be added with the -text attribute of the -comment
item. Please note that each entry widget itself can also contain a -text attribute
for comments and descriptions. But the -comment item allows for example adding a
description between two frames.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-comment {-text "Specify bellow the destination address"}
-yscroll 0|1|auto
This attribute allows controlling an eventual vertical scrollbar. Setting it to 0
will permanently disable the scrollbar, setting it to 1 will enable it. By default
it is set to auto. The scrollbar is enabled in this mode only if the vertical data
entry form size exceeds 66% of the screen height.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-yscroll auto
DATA ENTRY WIDGET ITEMS
Data entry widgets are created with the widget items. These items require as item
attributes a definition list, which contains itself attribute name and value pairs:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-<argument_name> {
?-<attribute_name> <attribute_value>?
?-<attribute_name> <attribute_value>?
?...?
}
The attribute list can contain various attributes to describe and comment an entry widget
and to constrain its entered value. All entry widgets are accepting a common set of
attributes that are described in the section Entry Widget Item Attributes.
TEPAM defines a rich set of entry widgets. If necessary, this set can be extended with
additional application specific entry widgets (see APPLICATION SPECIFIC ENTRY WIDGETS):
-entry list
The -entry item generates the simplest but most universal data entry widget. It
allows entering any kind of data in form of single line strings.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-label Name -variable Entry}
-text list
The -text item generates a multi line text entry widget. The widget's height can be
selected with the -height attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-text {-label Name -variable Text -height 5}
-checkbox list
A group of check boxes is created with the -checkbox item. The number of check
boxes and their option values are specified with a list assigned to the -choices
attribute or via a variable declared with the -choicevariable attribute:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-checkbox {-label "Font sytle" -variable FontStyle \
-choices {bold italic underline} -default italic}
If the check boxes' labels should differ from the option values, their labels can
be defined with the -choicelabels attribute:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-checkbox {-label "Font sytle" -variable FontStyle \
-choices {bold italic underline} \
-choicelabels {Bold Italic Underline} \
-default italic}
In contrast to a radio box group, a check box group allows selecting simultaneously
several choice options. The selection is stored for this reason inside the defined
variable in form of a list, even if only one choice option has been selected.
-radiobox list
A group of radio boxes is created with the -radiobox item. The number of radio
boxes and their option values are specified with a list assigned to the -choices
attribute or via a variable declared with the -choicevariable attribute.
In contrast to a check box group, a radio box group allows selecting simultaneously
only one choice option. The selected option value is stored directly, and not in
form of a list, inside the defined variable.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-radiobox {-label "Text adjustment" -variable Adjustment \
-choices {left center right} -default left}
If the radio boxes' labels should differ from the option values, their labels can
be defined with the -choicelabels attribute:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-radiobox {-label "Text adjustment" -variable Adjustment \
-choices {left center right} \
-choicelabels {Left Center Right} -default left}
-checkbutton list
The -checkbutton entry widget allows activating or deactivating a single choice
option. The result written into the variable will either be 0 if the check button
was not activated or 1 if it was activated. An eventually provided default value
has also to be either 0 or 1.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-checkbutton {-label Capitalize -variable Capitalize -default 1}
Several types of list and combo boxes are available to handle selection lists.
-combobox list
The combobox is a combination of a normal entry widget together with a drop-down
list box. The combobox allows selecting from this drop-down list box a single
element. The list of the available elements can be provided either as a list to the
-choices attribute, or via a variable that is specified with the -choicevariable
attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-combobox {-label "Text size" -variable Size -choices {8 9 10 12 15 18} -default 12}
And here is an example of using a variable to define the selection list:
set TextSizes {8 9 10 12 15 18}
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-combobox {-label "Text size" -variable Size -choicevariable TextSizes -default 12}
-listbox list
In contrast to the combo box, the list box is always displayed by the listbox entry
widget. Only one element is selectable unless the -multiple_selection attribute is
set. The list box height can be selected with the -height attribute. If the height
is not explicitly defined, the list box height is automatically adapted to the
argument dialog box' size. The first example uses a variable to define the
available choices:
set set AvailableSizes
for {set k 0} {$k<16} {incr k} {lappend AvailableSizes [expr 1<<$k]}
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-listbox {-label "Distance" -variable Distance \
-choicevariable AvailableSizes -default 6 -height 5}
Here is a multi-element selection example. Please note that also the default
selection can contain multiple elements:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-listbox {-label "Text styles" -variable Styles \
-choices {bold italic underline overstrike} \
-choicelabels {Bold Italic Underline Overstrike} \
-default {bold underline} -multiple_selection 1 \
-height 3}
-disjointlistbox list
A disjoint list box has to be used instead of a normal list box if the selection
order is important. The disjoint list box entry widget has in fact two list boxes,
one to select elements and one to display the selected elements in the chosen
order.
Disjoint listboxes allow always selecting multiple elements. With the exception of
the -multiple_selection attribute, disjointed list boxes are accepting the same
attributes as the normal listbox, e.g. -height, -choices, -choicevariable,
-default.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-disjointlistbox {-label "Preferred scripting languages" -variable Languages \
-comment "Please select your preferred languages in the order" \
-choices {JavaScript Lisp Lua Octave PHP Perl Python Ruby Scheme Tcl} \
-default {Tcl Perl Python}}
The file and directory selectors are building a next group of data entry widgets. A
paragraph of section Entry Widget Item Attributes explains the widget specific attributes
that allow specifying the targeted file types, active directory etc.
-file list
The item -file creates a group composed by an entry widget together with a button
that allows opening a file browser. The data type file is automatically selected
for this entry if no data type has been explicitly defined with the -type
attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-file {-label "Image file" -variable ImageF \
-filetypes {{"GIF" {*.gif}} {"JPG" {*.jpg}}} \
-initialfile "picture.gif"}
-existingfile list
The item -existingfile creates a group composed by an entry widget together with a
button that allows opening a browser to select an existing file. The data type
existingfile is automatically selected for this entry if no data type has been
explicitly defined with the -type attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-existingfile {-label "Image file" -variable ImageF \
-filetypes {{"GIF" {*.gif}} {"JPG" {*.jpg}}} \
-initialfile "picture.gif"}
-directory list
The item -directory creates a group composed by an entry widget together with a
button that allows opening a directory browser. The data type directory is
automatically selected for this entry if no data type has been explicitly defined
with the -type attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-directory {-label "Report directory" -variable ReportDir}
-existingdirectory list
The item -existingdirectory creates a group composed by an entry widget together
with a button that allows opening a browser to select an existing directory. The
data type existingdirectory is automatically selected for this entry if no data
type has been explicitly defined with the -type attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-existingdirectory {-label "Report directory" -variable ReportDir}
Finally, there is a last group of some other special data entry widgets.
-color list
The color selector is composed by an entry widget together with a button that
allows opening a color browser. The data type color is automatically selected for
this entry widget type if no data type has been explicitly defined with the -type
attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-color {-label "Background color" -variable Color -default red}
-font list
The font selector is composed by an entry widget together with a button that allows
opening a font browser. The data type font is automatically selected for this entry
widget type if no data type has been explicitly defined with the -type attribute.
The entry widget displays an example text in the format of the selected font.
The font browser allows selecting by default the font families provided by the font
families Tk command as well as a reasonable set of different font sizes between 6
points and 40 points. Different sets of font families and font sizes can be
specified respectively via the -font_families or -font_sizes attributes.
If no default font is provided via the -default attribute, the default font of the
label widget to display the selected font will be used as default selected font. If
the font family of this label widget is not part of the available families the
first available family is used as default. If the font size of this label widget is
not part of the available sizes the next close available size is selected as
default size.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-font {-label "Font" -variable Font \
-font_sizes {8 10 12 16} \
-default {Arial 20 italic}}
ENTRY WIDGET ITEM ATTRIBUTES
All the entry widget items are accepting the following attributes:
-text string
Eventual descriptions and comments specified with the -text attribute are displayed
above the entry widget.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-text "Please enter your name bellow" -variable Name}
-label string
The label attribute creates left to the entry widget a label using the provided
string as label text:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-label Name -variable Name}
-variable string
All entry widgets require a specified variable. After accepting the entered
information with the OK button, the entry widget's data are stored inside the
defined variables.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-existingdirectory {-label "Report directory" -variable ReportDir}
-default string
Eventual default data for the entry widgets can be provided via the -default
attribute. The default value is overridden if an argument dialog box with a defined
context is called another time. The value acknowledged in a previous call will be
used in this case as default value.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-checkbox {-label "Font sytle" -variable FontStyle \
-choices {bold italic underline} -default italic}
-optional 0|1
Data can be specified as optional or mandatory with the -optional attribute that
requires either 0 (mandatory) or 1 (optional) as attribute data.
In case an entry is optional and no data has been entered, e.g. the entry contains
an empty character string, the entry will be considered as undefined and the
assigned variable will not be defined.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-label "City" -variable start_city -type string} \
-entry {-label "Street" -variable start_street -type string -optional 0} \
-entry {-label "Street number" -variable start_street_nbr -type integer -optional 1} \
-type string
If the data type is defined with the -type attribute the argument dialog box will
automatically perform a data type check after acknowledging the entered values and
before the dialog box is closed. If a type incompatible value is found an error
message box appears and the user can correct the value.
The argument dialog box accepts all types that have been specified by the TEPAM
package and that are also used by tepam::procedure (see the tepam::procedure
reference manual).
Some entry widgets like the file and directory widgets, as well as the color and
font widgets are specifying automatically the default data type if no type has been
specified explicitly with the -type attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-label "Street number" -variable start_street_nbr -type integer} \
-range string
Values can be constrained with the -range attribute. The valid range is defined
with a list containing the minimum valid value and a maximum valid value.
The -range attribute has to be used only for numerical arguments, like integers and
doubles.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-label Month -variable Month -type integer -range {1 12}}
-validatecommand string
More complex value validations than type checks can be performed via specific
validation commands that are declared with the -validatecommand attribute. The
provided validation command can be a script (command sequence) in which the pattern
%P is replaced by the value that has to be checked.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-entry {-label "Your comment" -variable YourCom \
-validatecommand "IllegalWordDetector %P"} ]
Some other attributes are supported by the list and combo boxes as well as by the radio
and check buttons.
-choices string
Choice lists can directly be defined with the -choices attribute. This way to
define choice lists is especially adapted for smaller, fixed selection lists.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-listbox {-label "Text styles" -variable Styles \
-choices {bold italic underline} -default underline
-choicelabels string (only check and radio buttons)
If the check and radio boxes' labels should differ from the option values, they can
be defined with the -choicelabels attribute:
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-checkbox {-label "Font sytle" -variable FontStyle \
-choices {bold italic underline} \
-choicelabels {Bold Italic Underline}
-choicevariable string
Another way to define the choice lists is using the -choicevariable attribute. This
way to define choice lists is especially adapted for huge and eventually variable
selection lists.
set TextSizes {8 9 10 12 15 18}
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-combobox {-label "Text size" -variable Size -choicevariable TextSizes}
-multiple_selection 0|1
The list box item (-listbox) allows by default selecting only one list element. By
setting the -multiple_selection attribute to 1, multiple elements can be selected.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-listbox {-label "Text styles" -variable Styles \
-choices {bold italic underline} -default underline \
-multiple_selection 1 -height 3}
Some additional attributes are supported by the file and directory selection widgets.
-filetypes string
The file type attribute is used by the -file and -existingfile items to define the
file endings that are searched by the file browser.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-file {-label "Image file" -variable ImageF \
-filetypes {{"GIF" {*.gif}} {"JPG" {*.jpg}}}}
-initialfile string
The initial file used by the file browsers of the -file and -existingfile widgets
are by default the file defined with the -default attribute, unless a file is
specified with the -initialfile attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-file {-variable ImageF -initialfile "picture.gif"}
-activedir string
The -activedir attribute will override the default active search directory used by
the file browsers of all file and directory entry widgets. The default active
search directory is defined by the directory of a specified initial file
(-initialfile) if defined, and otherwise by the directory of the default
file/directory, specified with the -default attribute.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-file "-variable ImageF -activedir $pwd"
Finally, there is a last attribute supported by some widgets:
-height string
All widgets containing a selection list (-listbox, -disjointlistbox, -font) as well
as the multi line -text widget are accepting the -height attribute that defines the
number of displayed rows of the selection lists.
tepam::argument_dialogbox \
-listbox {-label "Text size" -variable Size \
-choices {8 9 10 12 15 18} -default 12 -height 3}
If the no height has been explicitly specified the height of the widget will be
dynamically adapted to the argument dialog box' size.
APPLICATION SPECIFIC ENTRY WIDGETS
An application specific entry widget can be made available to the argument dialog box by
adding a dedicated procedure to the tepam namespace. This procedure has three arguments;
the first one is the widget path, the second one a subcommand and the third argument has
various purposes:
proc tepam::ad_form(<WidgetName>) {W Command {Par ""}} {
upvar Option Option; # if required
variable argument_dialogbox; # if required
switch $Command {
"create" <CreateCommandSequence>
"set_choice" <SetChoiceCommandSequence>
"set" <SetCommandv>
"get" <GetCommandSequence>
}
}
Argument_dialogbox takes care about the -label and -text attributes for all entry widgets.
For any data entry widget it creates a frame into which the data entry widget components
can be placed. The path to this frame is provided via the W argument.
The entry widget procedure has to support 3 mandatory and an optional command that are
selected via the argument Command:
create The entry widget is called a first time with the command create to build the data
entry widget.
The frames that are made available by argument_dialogbox for the entry widgets are
by default only extendable in the X direction. To make them also extendable in the
Y direction, for example for extendable list boxes, the command
ad_form(make_expandable) $W has to be executed when an entry widget is built.
set_choice
The entry widget procedure is only called with the set_choice command if the
-choices or -choicevariable has been specified. The command is therefore only
relevant for list and combo boxes.
The available selection list that is either specified with the -choices or
-choicevariable attribute is provided via the Par argument to the entry widget
procedure. This list can be used to initialize an available choice list.
set If a default value is either defined via the -default attribute or via a preceding
call the entry widget procedure is called with the set command. The argument Par
contains in this case the value to which the entry widget has to be initialized.
get The entry widget procedure's command get has to return the current value of the
entry widget.
Eventually specified entry widget item attributes are available via the Option array
variable of the calling procedure. This variable becomes accessible inside the entry
widget procedure via the upvar command.
There may be a need to store some information in a variable. The array variable
argument_dialogbox has to be used for this purpose together with array indexes starting
with "$W,", e.g. argument_dialogbox($W,values).
Examples of entry widget procedures are directly provided by the TEPAM package source file
that specifies the standard entry widget procedures. The simplest procedure is the one for
the basic entry widget:
proc tepam::ad_form(entry) {W Command {Par ""}} {
switch $Command {
"create" {pack [entry \$W.entry] -fill x \
-expand yes -pady 4 -side left}
"set" {\$W.entry insert 0 $Par}
"get" {return [\$W.entry get]}
}
}
It is also possible to relay on an existing entry widget procedure to derive a new, more
specific one. The radiobox widget is used for example, to create a new entry widget that
allows selecting either left, center or right. The original radiobox widget is called with
the set_choice command immediately after the create command, to define the fixed list of
selection options.
proc tepam::ad_form(rcl) {W Command {Par ""}} {
set Res [ad_form(radiobox) $W $Command $Par]
if {$Command=="create"} {
ad_form(radiobox) $W set_choice {left center right}
}
return $Res
}
Please consult the TEPAM package source file to find additional and more complex examples
of entry widget procedures.
VARIABLES
The argument_dialogbox is using two variables inside the namespace ::tepam:
argument_dialogbox
Application specific entry widget procedures can use this array variable to store
their own data, using as index the widget path provided to the procedure, e.g.
argument_dialogbox($W,<sub_index>).
last_parameters
This array variable is only used by an argument dialog box if its context has been
specified via the -context attribute. The argument dialog box' position and size as
well as its entered data are stored inside this variable if the data are
acknowledged and the form is closed. This allows the form to restore its previous
state once it is called another time.
To reuse the saved parameters not just in the actual application session but also
in another one, it is sufficient to store the last_parameter array variable
contents in a configuration file which is loaded the next time an application is
launched.
SEE ALSO
tepam(3tcl), tepam::procedure(3tcl)
KEYWORDS
data entry form, parameter entry form
CATEGORY
Argument entry form, mega widget
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 2009/2010, Andreas Drollinger